I had the opportunity to be part of an ICLS field trip to the Chicago Library's YOUMEDIA center over lunch yesterday. It's an amazing place run by even more amazing people. The gist of the YOUMEDIA center is this: It's a place for high school students to come and learn, play, and create with the latest digital media technology. The pictures below will give you an idea of the layout of the place but what really struck me was the quality of the people it attracted to work there.
YOUmedia center of the Chicago Public Library
Naturally these folks care a lot about and love working with kids. Combine that with their unbelievable talents and you have the making of something special. The center attracts singers, writers, film makers, producers, artists, anyone involved in the creative arts who enjoy sharing their talents and helping the kids find theirs. So more than exposing the kids to the technology the center opens up the opportunity for them to discover something about themselves by working alongside other highly creative people.
A recurring theme from the tour was how the center provided a safe environment for kids to try on various persona's to see how they felt. The kids are encouraged to explore the center, first by playing games like rock band. Soon they find themselves on the other end creating their own music, producing their own pieces. It was really interesting to hear that buy in from the kids really took off when their work was made public. Seeing their video on YouTube or having their music on their social networking site made a big difference in the sense of ownership and participation.
In addition to learning the creative end their also taught the business and management side of things. They've created a record label and are learning how to market themselves. I was amazed at the amount of life skills these kids were gaining by doing something they love--play. All they needed to take off was the right environment.
YOUmedia center of the Chicago Public Library
Naturally these folks care a lot about and love working with kids. Combine that with their unbelievable talents and you have the making of something special. The center attracts singers, writers, film makers, producers, artists, anyone involved in the creative arts who enjoy sharing their talents and helping the kids find theirs. So more than exposing the kids to the technology the center opens up the opportunity for them to discover something about themselves by working alongside other highly creative people.
A recurring theme from the tour was how the center provided a safe environment for kids to try on various persona's to see how they felt. The kids are encouraged to explore the center, first by playing games like rock band. Soon they find themselves on the other end creating their own music, producing their own pieces. It was really interesting to hear that buy in from the kids really took off when their work was made public. Seeing their video on YouTube or having their music on their social networking site made a big difference in the sense of ownership and participation.
In addition to learning the creative end their also taught the business and management side of things. They've created a record label and are learning how to market themselves. I was amazed at the amount of life skills these kids were gaining by doing something they love--play. All they needed to take off was the right environment.
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